Spring fling: the scrap industry gathers in New Orleans this April for the annual ISRI Convention and Exposition.

Vacationers celebrating a belated Mardi Gras will have to compete with the scrap industry this April in New Orleans as the 2005 ISRI Convention and Exposition lands in the Big Easy for the first time in 15 years.

"It's going to be the best show yet," says Chuck Carr, vice president of member services, meetings and marketing for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), Washington.

For more than a decade, scheduling conflicts have kept the annual show in cities other than New Orleans, but the association is looking forward to its return to the Big Easy.

"The last New Orleans convention was the largest attendance [up to that time] in ISRI history," Carr says. "And we're anticipating the same this year."

BIGGER THAN EVER. The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans will host the 2005 convention April 12-16.

The annual convention provides an opportunity for scrap recyclers and brokers to mingle, learn what's new in the industry and see the latest equipment.

Carr says the association plans to make good use of the 125,000 square feet of exhibit space--50 percent more than last year's expo--with more equipment displays than ever. The event's organizers expect at least 150 exhibitors.

The exhibit hall can be as exciting for exhibitors as it is for the attendees checking out the equipment. Mike Ramun, sales and marketing representative for member company and exhibitor Allied Gator Inc., Youngstown, Ohio, says his company is particularly excited this year about launching their new line of MT Series Multi-Tools at the show.

Ramun says the ISRI show provides a unique opportunity for his company to market its tools specifically to the scrap industry.

"The ISRI convention is special in the sense that we have had a lengthy relationship with the scrap industry, and this year ISRI members will see new Allied-Gator innovations."

The ISRI convention's size and reputation makes it a must-stop for crane and baler manufacturer and ISRI member Colmar USA, headquartered in Wheatfield, N.Y., says Vice President Lisa Bresolin.

"It's the best, biggest show in the business," Bresolin says, adding that every year the show provides a great opportunity for Colmar to display its new equipment as well as meet with customers in person.

The show is sporting a generational theme this year to honor the many small family enterprises that provided the foundation for the modern scrap industry, says Carr. "We're celebrating our past--the families that made up this business in the beginning--as well as the present and future," he says.

The five-day event boasts a full schedule of educational workshops, general sessions and speakers, in addition to the equipment displays and demonstrations in the exhibit hall, which opens Wednesday, April 13, at 6:30 p.m.

Workshops are designed to appeal to a broad spectrum of business professionals, says Cart.

For example, the AQSIQ workshop will look at the application process for shipping to China and how registration has affected the scrap industry, as well as what effects can be expected in the future.

Although many programs are scrap-specific, some are more generalized. Workshops like "Hedging 101" and "Essential Tools for a Successful Sales Program" may be of interest to attendees involved in finance. Environmental and safety programs addressing issues like radiation in the scrap stream are also scheduled.

Victor Caldwell, an attorney with Woods and Rogers PLC, will instruct several legally oriented programs.

NEW THIS YEAR New to the convention and exposition lineup this year is a mini-operations forum in the form of a series of safety certification workshops. The workshops are available to all registered attendees--including "Trade Show Only" pass holders.

Safety certification workshops include: "Safety One: Everyday Hazards at the Scrap Yard; Safety Two: The Other Guy's View; Safety Three: Seeing the Forest Through the Trees;" and "Safety Four: Crane Safety."

Also, the convention has replaced its spouse program with a "non-industry track," open to industry and non-industry attendees. "It's meant to be attractive to not only the wives and husbands of members, but to anybody looking to take a break from the industry stuff," says Carr.

MEETING AND GREETING. Of course, when attendees aren't busy with workshops, speakers and equipment displays, they fill their spare time by taking advantage of many networking opportunities.

The convention schedule includes several luncheons, receptions and meetings. The gala reception and closing banquet bookend the week and provide two of the largest convention occasions for customers, suppliers and other industry insiders to mix and mingle.

Neil LeBlanc, senior marketing consultant for exhibitor Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Ill., says the number of customers his company can see during the show makes it an invaluable networking experience. "Knowing that ISRI is made up of 1,300 scrap recyclers--We simply couldn't get in touch with all of them without a forum like ISRI."

With the combination of the mini-operations forum, workshops and exhibits, Carr says he's confident in the success of the 2005 ISRI convention. "The challenge will be to top it next year."

The author is assistant editor of Recycling Today and can be e-mailed at [e-mail].